


hotel hallway brief flirtations

by cressisaqueen



Category: Bandstand - Oberacker/Oberacker & Taylor
Genre: Canon Compliant, Deleted Scenes, F/M, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mutual Pining, donny x julia, i'm Hoping that wayne isn't too ooc, there's nick x wayne but lowkey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-28
Updated: 2020-05-28
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:20:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24419548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cressisaqueen/pseuds/cressisaqueen
Summary: Love is a risk, but she wrote herself that there's more than one man. And Donny could be the right man."You're a good person, Julia," Wayne says, "Michael would know that it's all out of love."First steps first.
Relationships: Donny Novitski/Julia Trojan, Julia Trojan & Wayne Wright, Julia Trojan/Michael Trojan, Nick Radel/Wayne Wright
Comments: 1
Kudos: 16





	hotel hallway brief flirtations

**Author's Note:**

> this fic is the result of me watching bandstand two days in a row and falling even more in love with this show

Julia rests against the hotel door. She can hear her heartbeat in her ears, and her palms grow sweaty. They need to leave well enough alone. For Michael.

Everything has been for Michael. Except for tonight. Tonight was for Julia and the boys. _Her_ boys. The boys that she didn't mean to love as much as she does. They partied and danced and sang and for once Julia didn't feel suffocated by pitying stares and hushed voices. 

For a brief moment she was who she used to be.

With Donny she can be who she was. 

But the Julia she was and the Julia she is continue to scream Michael's name. And she would never betray her husband like that. Donny was his best friend. He's also _her_ best friend. 

She takes a deep breath, pushes herself off the door. Washes her face, changes into her pajamas. Stays awake for hours, knows Donny is awake too. Because he never sleeps, because he's plagued by Michael just as much as Julia is. 

Is this all they were meant to be? Tormented by the memories, never allowed to catch a break, never allowed to move on? 

Julia doesn't want to move on. She can't forget about him, and neither can Donny. 

Once she finally succumbs to sleep, Michael is all she can see. 

* * *

They make the final cut. They're going to be on the broadcast. Julia can hardly believe it. 

"Enjoy the city," the director tells them, giving them their copy of the contract. Julia's arm is linked with Donny's as they leave. She can almost pretend last night didn't happen, that they didn't pour their hearts out to each other. But Wayne seems to catch on. 

He approaches Julia when the group stops inside a record store. "Did you two..." he starts, hoping she'll fill in the blank. Donny is browsing and makes a face when the store owner puts on Frank Sinatra. It makes her heart flutter. 

"No. Almost, but no." 

Wayne seems to soften a little. Julia can't tell if it's pity or not. 

"You should. It would make Nova a lot less cranky in the mornings." Julia blushes so violently that Wayne bursts out laughing. He doesn't laugh often, but he's opened up a lot more since leaving that old hotel and living with Nick. She has her assumptions, but refuses to cross that line. 

Donny calls Jimmy's name, shows him a record of an artist they both like. Julia remembers Michael dragging her to all the record stores in Cleveland, introducing her to all the musicians he aspired to be like. 

It all boils down to Michael. Always. 

"It's complicated," Julia says. Wayne stares at her; a silent invitation to continue. "Everything I've done with this band has been for Michael. Everything _Donny_ has done for this band has been for Michael. If we... admitted that there was more, I think we would both feel like we were betraying him."

Wayne wraps his arm around her shoulders. Even just a month ago he never would have been close enough to be in her space. Now though, Julia can lay her head on his shoulder and stew in the uncertainty of it all. 

"Remember what Nova said the first day of rehearsals?" Wayne asks. Julia nods, a small smile on her face. "Breathe, it gets easier. I know what it feels like to take a risk and have it be the wrong decision. I've obsessed over doing everything right and precise, but..." Wayne looks to Nick. Julia sees that he's already looking and she understands. 

Love is a risk, but she wrote herself that there's more than one man. And Donny could be the right man. 

"You're a good person, Julia. Michael would know that it's all out of love." 

_First steps first._

* * *

Donny walks her to her door again. He's more hesitant, and so is she. 

"So," he starts, hands stuffed into his pockets, "I'll see you in the morning." They both know what could happen if he stays, the risks they would be taking. So Julia lets him leave, doesn't go into her room until she sees Donny close the door to his. 

There's an ache in her chest she hasn't felt since she received the telegram. Like she just lost him. But she didn't; she sees him in the morning, indeed cranky. He downs at least two cups of coffee, no doubt some of Davy's whiskey mixed in. 

When they go out to lunch, Julia makes sure to wear her new blue dress. Her mom had picked it out when the two went shopping before Julia left. June had winked at her daughter, made a comment about how she always looked great in blue. Then, Julia didn't think anything of it, just rolled her eyes. But now...

Now, she wants Donny to think she looks pretty. 

He stares at her as she meets the boys in the lobby, and Wayne gives her a look. She pretends not to notice, linking her arm through Donny's. 

She's more bold now. The sun is shining down on the city, and nothing is as intimate as it is in the hotel hallways. She can easily take Donny's hand and let him twirl her around without it having to mean anything. But it means everything. Every touch sets her aflame, every look makes her blush. 

As the sun sets, her chest aches again. They have to get some rest before the big broadcast tomorrow, meaning she's accompanied to her room earlier than before, when they aren't as tired and aren't as remorseful. 

Their hands are intertwined as they stop in front of her door. 

"I'll see you in the morning," Donny says. But Julia doesn't want to let go just yet. She tugs on his hand, roots him to the spot. He seems to understand what she wants. "We can't." 

_Because of Michael._

"I know," Julia says. They still don't let go. "But can we just pretend? Like we're in an MGM film." There's a ghost of a smile on Donny's face, and Julia knows she's being unfair to him. Two nights ago she was saying they had to leave well enough alone. Tonight she was wondering what it would be like to kiss him. 

They both need absolution, both need to rid themselves of guilt. But they haven't even done anything, haven't voiced the thing they both feel outright. Yet the guilt still gnaws at them. 

Donny rubs small circles on the back of her hand. "Goodnight, Julia." 

She doesn't get even an hour of sleep. 

* * *

Of course they were getting screwed over. Of course there was a catch. There always seems to be a catch.

Don't they at least deserve this one thing? This one win after all the things they've been through? Apparently not. 

Donny screams, crumples up the contract. Her heart breaks for her boys. 

"Julia, do you remember every original word of Welcome Home?" Donny asks her. She had written the apology in a fit of anger - at the world, at herself - and regret - that she refused to hear him out, that she let him down when he needed her. Of course she remembered every single word. 

"Donny, we could blacklisted, or worse," Julia says. He chokes out that they've all been through worse. Johnny's right: it is a suicide mission. But they have to take the risk. Julia looks to Wayne, and he nods.

"We're going to fight for what's true," Donny says, addressing them like a general addressing his troops. "What happened over there is true. What this band means to us is _true."_

Wayne takes Nick's hand. Nick takes Jimmy's hand; he takes Davy's hand; he takes Johnny's hand; he takes Julia's hand; she takes Donny's hand. Her heart is bursting with love for these six boys. For the boy standing next to her, gripping her hand like she might disappear at any second. 

"The Donny Nova Band?" a woman with a headset asks, motioning for them to wait in the wings. Donny tugs on Julia's hand, rooting her to the spot. 

He rests his forehead on hers. "Julia, what I feel for you is true. No matter how long it takes, I need to be with you." 

Michael was the love of her life; she wouldn't trade the life that she had with him for anything. But she can't stay stuck in the past. She has a wonderful boy in her arms, saying he loves her. And she loves him too. 

_Welcome home,_ she thinks as Donny kisses her and kisses her and kisses her. 

**Author's Note:**

> i'm on tumblr @cressisaqueen


End file.
